The New Family
by JonoGwood
Summary: As Fear and Sadness adjust to parenthood, a rogue emotion named Depression tries to hijack Riley's mind. As the situation seems to worsen, two pint-sized heroes will emerge.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Well, here we are at the fourth story in the Other Side of Sadness series. Suffice it to say, I didn't imagine how far the series would go - especially not when I began writing the first story. It just kept growing and growing, and now the fourth story has come to fruition. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed, favourited and enjoyed these stories. I am appreciative of your support.**

 **I've opted to go for a series of one-shots of the journey of parenting, warts and all. Hope you enjoy it!**

 _2 a.m._

Love opened her little eyes and looked up at the nursery ceiling. Her tiny stomach growled like an angry bear. Love knew what that meant. It was time to eat.

So, in the only way she knew how to ask for food, she started to cry. Initially soft whimpers, they quickly became loud wails.

* * *

The noise reached Fear and Sadness, who had been sleeping quite peacefully in their own bed for the first time since Sadness had delivered the twins.

Husband and wife stirred for a few moments.

"A hungry baby... at 2 in the morning..." mumbled Fear sleepily.

Sadness got out of bed, her body craving sleep, but her heart said otherwise. One of the twins was hungry, and who was she to deny that child food? Her maternal instincts told her to go to the nursery and feed the hungry infant in question.

"Oh, you poor thing," she whispered as she came to Love and Shyness's cribs. She picked up the crying Love and started to feed her. Almost immediately, Love felt at peace.

Fear came into the nursery and smiled. "She's... she's quite fond of you, isn't she?"

Sadness looked at him. "Well, she wasn't named Love for nothing."

When her feed had finished, Sadness burped her and put her, very delicately, into her crib.

"What an angel," Fear whispered. "An angel from heaven... just for us."

"Yes," mused Sadness. "...Just for us."


	2. Bonds

**Author's Note: I apologise for the long wait. I've been on holidays lately. suppose even fanfic writers have to take a break at some stage. Now I'm back and ready to write again.**  
 **Now on to the story!**

Fear couldn't take his eyes off his children. That was an unavoidable fact. Every half hour he would stop whatever he happened to be doing and went over to the nursery to check on them. When he'd get there, a reassuring smile and babble would let him know everything was alright.  
Sadness, too, checked on them whenever she could. She wanted to be there the moment they woke up so that she could share a cuddle - a special moment between mother and baby. Both Fear and Sadness lived for those moments. Time out of a busy day to play with their children - a bright spot in an otherwise challenging day of helping Riley through high school.

* * *

"Who's doing dream duty tonight, guys?" Anger asked. "I've done two shifts, and there's only so much of Riley's dream boyfriend I can take!"  
"Oh, oh, I'll do it!" Joy chirped. "I love me a good concert! Plus Riley's dream boyfriend is an incredible singer! You should just hear his harmony vocals..." She sighed happily.  
"I seem to be in the minority here, but I think it's just noise," muttered Anger as he headed off to bed. "A pretty face making noise."  
"You're off the hook, guys," remarked Disgust. "What are you planning?"  
Fear looked at his wife.  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.  
Sadness nodded. "I think you know the answer, sweetie."  
Disgust watched on, slightly confused. "Have you even heard my question?"  
Fear snapped out of his thoughts. "Y-yes. We're planning on spending the night with our little ones. You know, playing with them, seeing their gorgeous faces."  
In his mind's eye he saw himself cradling Love in his arms and Sadness cradling Shyness. "Just... just spending time with our babies."

* * *

So, that night, while Joy was being serenaded by Riley's dream boyfriend, Fear and Sadness spent time with their newborns. Every time they looked at their little faces they felt a volcanic surge of love rise up.  
"They say that the best things come in small packages," cooed Sadness as she cradled Shyness, who was sound asleep.  
"That they do, my love," Fear replied. "That they do." He looked down at Love, who was stirring. She looked up at him and gave him a smile.  
Fear's heart melted at the sight. "Hello, my little girl," he whispered. "You're our little angel, you know that?" Love smiled again and then drifted back to sleep.  
There was no doubt about it. The bonds that held the family together were strengthening each and every day.

Even when the busiest days at Headquarters threatened to frazzle Fear and Sadness, a hold of the twins would change the outcome of their day. They knew this. That was the entire reason they would try to spend as much time with them as they could. The holding and cuddling sessions were therapeutic and, to that effect, they were immensely successful.

Overall, the twins were bonding to their parents extremely well, and vice versa. The love that Fear and Sadness gave them was apparent for everyone to see. There was no doubt that their family was becoming more close-knit than ever before.


	3. Babysitting

**Author's Note: All song lyrics are owned by their respective owners.**

When Sadness and Fear were called for Dream Duty, they would ask one or more of the others to look after the newborns. They weren't usually gone for very long, but as Fear was particularly paranoid about leaving the twins alone, it was decided that babysitting was required.

This is what would transpire when each of the other emotions babysat the children.

* * *

Anger:

"Okay, Love and Shyness, are you ready for a bedtime story?" Anger asked.

The twins looked at him from their cribs expectantly.

"Okay, this book is called _Economic Theory_ by Leopold Grazinsky. It's about the emerging market trends, how economists predict these trends will shape the economic policy of first-world nations, and how poorer nations can be equipped to manage their resources effectively. Are you ready?"

The twins were fast asleep.

Anger shook his head. "And I was just about to get to the interesting part," he muttered to himself.

* * *

Disgust:

Not wanting to repeat the quite frankly embarrassing episode that had occurred with Anger, Disgust thought she'd engage the twins with a story from a movie that Riley had seen recently.

"...and this sweet girl wants to join this exclusive club of girls at her new school called the Plastics. And the leader of the Plastics is named Regina, and she's a super mean girl. This girl, in fact, is who the new girl's friends want revenge on, because she's mean. But in the process of becoming friends with Regina, the new girl, Cady, starts to become more like her!"

The twins, engrossed in the story, kept their eyes on Disgust.

"Oh, but I think she gets hit by a bus."

Love started bawling.

"No, no... it's okay... she gets better... really..."

Tears were streaming down both the twins' faces now.

"It's a movie! It's a movie!" Disgust whispered, trying desperately to save herself from the mess she'd created.

At that moment, Fear entered the room and rushed over to the twins' cribs.

"What... what did you _do_ , Disgust?" he cried.

"It's... a long story..." was all Disgust could muster.

* * *

Joy seemed to be the only one of the three who managed to keep the twins relatively calm and happy.

Key to this was her seemingly endless repertoire of songs that she'd memorised from the countless ones Riley had heard throughout her life.

If ever the twins were feeling a little sad, she'd start singing:

 _"When I find myself in times of trouble_

 _Mother Mary comes to me_

 _Speaking words of wisdom_

 _Let it be"._

In the happier moments, she'd sing "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", or "Chim-Chim Cher-ee", or "She Loves You".

The twins' all-time favourite, however, was "Yellow Submarine". It calmed them right down and would cause them to break out into wide smiles. They'd bounce to the chorus:

 _"We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine..."_

Fear and Sadness were always impressed when they came back, the twins usually fast asleep upon their return and Joy reading a book.

"It must be magic," Fear told her at one point.

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Joy replied. "A spoonful of sugar and a good ol' hug does the trick!"


	4. First Words

**Author's Note: To all my readers, I'm very sorry for not writing more chapters as of late. I've been swamped with schoolwork, and to add to that, my exams are drawing ominously closer. (I've done my English exam, thank goodness.) This means I won't have enough time to write more of the story for quite a while. That's why I haven't been as active as I'd like to be. Thanks everyone for understanding. Before all the craziness of moving into another school year, here's a brand new chapter!**

Milestones are monumental occasions for all parents, whether they're new to the job or seasoned veterans. This was especially true for Fear and Sadness, who over the span of a year had seen Love and Shyness crawl around Headquarters (though not without Fear a step behind them). This had finally progressed to them taking their first tentative steps. What a joyous occasion that was! Everyone - yes, even Anger - was cheering them on, one step at a time.

So it was only a matter of time before they began to talk. Fear and Sadness awaited the historic moment with bated breath, not knowing the time or the place that the twins would finally talk. That was up to them. They'd talk when they felt like it. They had to respect that. To Fear and Sadness's credit, they waited patiently for the moment to arrive. They continued to play with them as much as they could.

* * *

It was early morning when it happened. Fear was gently waking the twins up from their sleep.

Their eyes fluttered open, and they grinned with delight.

Fear's heart nearly melted.

Suddenly, Love gurgled: "Daddy!" Shyness piped up, "Dadda!"

Sadness, having heard the twins' words, came to their nursery and picked up Shyness, with Fear picking up Love.

"Momma!" Shyness cooed.

"Yes..." Sadness whispered, a lump forming in her throat, "yes... I am your momma."

The two clung tightly to their children, congratulating them on reaching a tremendously special milestone.


	5. A New Emotion

**San Fransisco, CA, Redwood Hockey Center**

"This is the last quarter, guys. You've been slipping!" Riley's coach was practically screaming. "What's wrong with you guys? I've seen better playing from 5-year-olds!"

Riley Anderson was trying to listen to Coach Mills' lecture, but she couldn't stop looking - staring, even - at Mike Gatz, the new kid from Long Island. He was the number one point scorer for the team. And there was a certain... allure? Riley wasn't sure. But there was _something_.

 _Oh! He's noticed!_

Mike turned his head around to see how his teammates were reacting to Coach Mills' grilling. Suddenly, his eyes became locked on Riley. She was familiar - he was consistently amazed by how she managed to score points just before the game ended. She was competitive, too. He knew that all too well. He'd try to score, but she was always one step ahead of him. Not that it irritated him. It actually intrigued him.

And so their eyes were locked on each other.

* * *

 **Headquarters**

"Uh... Joy..." Fear whimpered. "He's-he's-looking at us!"

"Woah, Fear, don't hit that button just yet!" Joy exclaimed. "Let's get a good look at this fine specimen."

Joy was surprised by what she saw, even momentarily transfixed. "Wow. I'd expect that he'd be a pretty menacing-looking guy, but... I wasn't prepared for that." She grinned.

"How do we proceed, Joy?" Fear asked.

Fear looked at Sadness. "What do you suggest, dear?"

Sadness, holding Love, had been watching with interest. "I don't want to ruin the moment. I think you should ask Joy..."

Love was trying to reach something that she couldn't quite grasp.

"Okay, Love, do you want to look at the console? Just try not to touch any buttons," Sadness said to her baby daughter. She walked towards the console.

Love reached for the big button.

"Uh... Sadness..."

"Love, what are you-"

Love pressed the button.

* * *

Riley began to feel something rise in her. It was very pleasant. Her heart was warming, and she felt her face grow hot.

Mike waved to her. Riley took the initiative to wave back.

"Anderson!" yelled Coach Mills.

* * *

Fear gently moved Sadness and Love out of the way and punched the button.

* * *

"Are you listening, Anderson?" yelled Coach Mills.

"Y-yes, sir," Riley mumbled.

"Well, you'd better if you want to win the game! This isn't a practice game, you know!" He then turned his attention to the boys in the back, who were laughing uproariously.

* * *

"That's over," sighed Fear.

"Love, sweetie, do you want to touch the button again?" Sadness asked.

Love reached for the button again.

* * *

This was crazy. She'd only met him today. Could this be love at first- no. That only happened in the sorts of romantic novels her mom read. The ones with the really cheesy blurbs on the back.

But, she had to admit, if any guy was going to sweep her off her feet, it would be Mike. From the brief interactions she had with him, he was a genuinely sweet guy who didn't seem to care if she took the shot before he had the chance to. He was a good sport.

 _Does he feel the same way?_ she wondered briefly.

* * *

 **Mike's Headquarters  
**

Fear was running around the room, screaming. "A GIRL! WHAT DO WE DO, JOY?!"

"It's okay, guys. Just act casual," Joy replied. "She looks good, at least."

"What if she turns away? That'd be sad," Sadness mumbled.

"I hope that dweeb Kevin doesn't get to her first. I think he wants to talk to her first," Anger commented.

"He sprayed his pits today, right?" Disgust piped up.

"Yeah, he did, thank goodness," Joy replied. "Otherwise Mom would nag him again. Guys, let's just maintain eye contact for the time being. OK?"

The others nodded.

* * *

"Sorry I've been harsh," Coach Mills finished. "I just got caught up in the... well, the fog of the game. Maybe I have high expectations. But guys, I just want you to do your best. Get out there and send the other guys home with their tail between their legs!"

Riley put on her helmet and grabbed her stick and headed for the entrance back to the rink. Mike followed.

* * *

"Oh, now we have to get back to the game," Sadness sighed. "Now we'll never get to talk to Mike again."

"It's OK," Joy reassured. "We can meet up with him after the game."

"What if... what if she doesn't... you know... know what to say?" Fear trembled.

"Give me the controls when that happens," Joy replied. "I've got it."

* * *

"C'mon, Riley!" Mom and Dad yelled as Riley slashed across the ice, on the tail of Will Malone, another top scorer.

Right when Will was about to shoot the puck home, he fell, leaving Riley the opportunity to smack the puck to set the victory in stone.

When she did, the crowd's roar was nearly deafening. The siren sounded in that glorious moment. It was all over.

Mike slid up to her. "Wow, Riley, that was incredible!"

Riley blushed. "Oh... thanks, Mike."

Mike chuckled. "It's fine. So... you want to... uh, hang out sometime?"

Riley looked into his precious, gleaming eyes. The answer tumbled out of her.

"Yeah, how about Krispy Kreme tomorrow afternoon?"

"Sure!" grinned Mike. "I'll see you at 2?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah. See you at 2."

* * *

 **Mike's Headquarters**

Disgust, Anger, Sadness and Fear all applauded.

"Way to go, dude!" Anger yelled as he playfully punched Joy on the arm. "Smooth!"

* * *

"Did... did that happen?" Fear asked.

"Yep," Joy replied.

Fear smiled.

Then fainted.


	6. New Emotions (Part 2)

**Headquarters**

Disgust was in control of the console, her eyes fixed with steely determination. "Definitely going with that lip gloss." She cringed seeing Riley's mom's lip gloss that Riley had inherited. "Not _that_ , though. Riley shouldn't be seen in public wearing that. That's like glue!"

"Uh, Disgust, aren't you taking this a bit too far?" Fear asked. "You know... I think that Mike won't mind what Riley looks like."

"Are you nuts?!" Disgust snapped. "If we don't look totally incredible, Mike won't even cast his eyes in her direction! She'll be... she'll be Frankenstein's monster!" She was almost screaming at him now, as if there was a sense of mortal urgency in her words.

Fear slowly backed away. "I... I get it. You want the date to... to go well."

"Yes," Disgust replied curtly. She returned to the console in a huff. "Men", she muttered.

* * *

Riley headed downstairs significantly freshened up when compared to how Mike saw her at the hockey game.

Her mother noticed this. "Riley!" she exclaimed. "You look like you're meeting someone."

Riley felt a lump lodge itself in her throat.

* * *

"We can't just lie to Mom!" Fear cried.

"I've got this," Disgust countered.

* * *

"Just a friend, Mom."

Riley's mother looked at her suspiciously. "You usually go in casual clothes to your friends' houses, Riley."

* * *

"WE'RE CAUGHT!" Fear yelled.

Disgust put a hand over his mouth. "Not yet."

* * *

"This is different, Mom. It's a party."

"Oh. Did you get an invitation?"

Riley averted her mother's gaze briefly, as if deep in thought. She met her mother's eyes again. "It was a verbal invitation. You know, that's how it works now at school."

"Silly me," Riley's mother chuckled. "Well, I'm happy to drive you over to your friend's house if you want."

Riley froze.

* * *

"Mom knows she's bluffing," Fear trembled. "We're done for. I just know it."

At that moment, Joy wandered in. "Hey, guys! How's it going?"

"Oh, it's alright Joy," replied Fear. "It's all good... except we're in CRISIS MODE!"

Joy looked puzzled.

"It's alright, Joy, we're fine," Disgust said at last. "I'm handling the situation. Riley's going on that date with Mike."

Joy clasped her hands together jovially. "Oh, that will be lovely! Ball's in your court then." However, she stood close to Fear and Disgust in case of an emergency.

"Disgust, don't do anything... dangerous," Fear whimpered.

Disgust narrowed her eyes at the screen. "It's go time."

* * *

"It's okay, Mom," sighed Riley. "I'll walk."

"Well, you are 13 now, Riley. I guess you're old enough to walk somewhere. Call me when you're leaving, OK, monkey?"

"Sure," smiled Riley as she headed out the door.

* * *

"Well, that was easy," Disgust smiled. "Ball's in your court, Joy."

"With pleasure", Joy smiled as she took control.

* * *

Riley almost sprinted towards the San Fransisco Krispy Kreme. She couldn't wait to see Mike again. His smile. His personality.

She had to admit she felt a little bad for lying to her mom. But was she, really? He was her friend... technically. But she wasn't going to think about it too much. She'd feel guilty if she thought for too long about it. She quickened her pace, imagining Mike's reaction when she walked in.

* * *

A monitor on the console beeped "DAYDREAM ALERT". The screen became hazy around the edges. Mike was smiling gleefully at it. "Wow, Riley, you're so... you're so..."

"Thanks," Riley giggled. "You too."

"So, a doughnut? On me?"

"Sure." She giggled again.

Joy was watching the daydream intently. It ended abruptly, however, when Riley came up to the door of the store. The haze quickly disappeared with the view transitioning to a set of double glass doors.

Fear had pressed the button. "What if this doesn't work? What if this relationship isn't happening? What if..."

Joy pushed Fear gently aside and assumed control again. "This will go great! I bet he's probably gonna be so happy to see us! He'll be smiling like he's just seen something amazing, which Riley is, of course!"

* * *

Riley walked through the glass doors and saw Mike. He looked like he'd been waiting for her for some time. Surprisingly, he looked like he was trembling. Beads of sweat decorated his forehead. Riley thought he was calm and collected based on his actions at the rink. She saw it as a good sign, as they were on common ground.

As soon as he saw Riley, Mike calmed down almost immediately. "Hi, Riley," he smiled. "Gosh!" he exclaimed. "You look... amazing."

* * *

"Daddy!" cried Love as Sadness approached the other emotions with the one-year-old.

"My darling daughter," Fear cried.

Love pointed at the big button. "Touch!" she yelled. "Touch!"

"Sure, sweetie," cooed Sadness, as Love pushed the big button again.

* * *

He was handsome. Gosh. He was like an angel sent to earth. He looked amazing.

 _Sigh._

"You're... you're amazing, too," Riley giggled.

Mike blushed. "So... you want a donut? It's on me."

Riley saw her daydream unfold to reality. "S-sure," she stammered. "I'd love one."

Mike bought her one, and within minutes, it arrived in all its sugary glory. She took small, concentrated bites as Mike looked at her tenderly.

"Thish ish really good," she said as she ate.

"Like you," Mike replied in a daze.

"Wait... what?" Riley gasped.

"You... you're heavenly... would you..."

Riley's heart nearly stopped. "...Yeah?" she hesitated.

"Well... do you... want to... be my g-g-" He hesitated. "Girlfriend?"

Riley thought before answering.

* * *

"Say yes!" Disgust cried. "Do it!"

"What if he dumps her?" Fear asked. "That'd be awful."

"Sad, too," Sadness said. "She'd cry herself to sleep."

Joy considered. "Well, I have to say that she's been feeling this way for a while. It's all been bubbling over, I guess. Into... something more." Love motioned to press the button again.

* * *

"Sure!" Riley exclaimed as she hugged Mike with such ferocity he thought he'd be ripped apart. He looked into her eyes and laughed with pure ecstasy.

* * *

The emotions were all grinning.

Love's was the widest of all.


	7. A Villain

**AN: So, I thought I'd spice the story up a bit by introducing a bad guy. Enjoy!**

While Riley and Mike were going out and everything seemed blissful, behind the scenes something sinister was brewing.

An emotion that had willed himself out of his host mind and resided in an otherwise abandoned house sat in total darkness.

Depression smirked as he twirled his fingers around gleefully. He sat on a black throne, which was suspended in thin air with nothing to support it.

"Glorkin!" he barked. A diminutive minion rushed to his master.

"What is it, sire?" Glorkin hissed.

"Start up the monitor," Depression snarled. Glorkin, wanting to avoid a beating if he did not obey, scurried to the 30 inch plasma monitor and hurriedly turned it on.

This was the command module, where Depression scoured the world for someone to infect with a soul-crushing despair. His ultimate goal was to make everyone on the planet as sad as he was. His mother and father had abandoned him as a child, and his subsequent anger and spite blackened his soul, until there was nothing left except hatred and an irreparable psyche.

His thoughts were interrupted by Glorkin. "It's ready, sire."

"Good, good," smiled Depression. He grabbed the remote and the monitor flickered to life. A dialog box materialised with the words 'SELECT A CONTINENT' on it. Depression selected 'NORTH AMERICA', and then he selected 'UNITED STATES' and the city 'SAN FRANSISCO, CA'.

"Which wretched soul will be infected today, I wonder?" Depression grinned as his drones orbited San Fransisco.

"Female and male spotted, sir," a metallic voice warbled through the monitor. "Permission to zoom in?"

"By all means," Depression replied.

The drone's camera zoomed into Riley, who was laughing as Mike was walking her home.

"Activate the microphone," Depression ordered.

"Affirmative," warbled the drone again. The monitor's embedded speakers received the audio.

"Mike, this has been amazing," Riley smiled. "You sure know how to take a girl out."

Mike beamed. "Aww, it was nothing, you know. Hey, maybe... maybe I could come over some time?"

Riley's smile faded a little. "Uh... well, I'd have to ask Mom and Dad, but I don't know. I'll text you later!"

Mike smiled. "Sure, awesome!"

They were at Riley's house now. Riley embraced him, then walked to the door.

"See you around sometime!" she called.

Mike grinned again, then walked off.

"Sire, I do not have the capacity to enter the female's house," Drone 1 stated.

"Are you sure?" Depression growled.

"Sire, I cannot, I apologise."

"Well, sometimes, apologies are not enough," Depression snarled as he reached for a button.

"What will you do to me?" Drone 1 asked, his voice quivering.

"Adios!" laughed Depression as he pushed the self-destruct button.

"No..." Drone 1 cried.

Glorkin watched as Drone 1 was blown to smithereens before his eyes. The feed went static. Drone 2's feed activated almost immediately.

"Drone 2, enter the house. Use stealth. Find the female. Then I will do the rest." He sat back on his dark throne and smiled.

"Affirmative," Drone 2 warbled.

* * *

 **Stay tuned for more!  
**


	8. A Villain, Part 2

When Riley's mother opened the door to get some groceries, Drone 2 found its opportunity and quickly whirred inside.

Its camera scanned the house as best it could, but there was no sign of Riley just yet.

"Checking upstairs," Drone 2 buzzed as it navigated the staircase.

It captured Riley's dad walking from his study to the bathroom, but he was of no concern.

"There's an inscription on the door ahead of you," Depression barked through the monitor. "Get close to it so I can read it."

"Yes, sire," Drone 2 whirred as it slowly but surely made its way to Riley's bedroom door.

The drone stopped for a while, allowing Depression to read the name on the door.

"Ah... Riley," sneered Depression. "A good name. Isn't it a shame that her life will take a turn just like that?"

He snapped his fingers. The sound reverberated around the dingy house, making Glorkin, his servant, tremble.

Depression laughed as he imagined the pain he would cause her. The misery he would cast upon her.

It was too good to be true.

"Drone 2, as soon as the door is opened, find a secure spot and stay there. I have a few words to say to Riley," he grinned maliciously.

"As you wish," Drone 2 whirred.

"Riley!" called her father.

Drone 2 immediately flew into the nearest open door.

"Yeah, Dad?" Riley called from within her room.

"I've got a pile of clothes for you. Can you put them away, please?"

"Sure," Riley replied.

Her dad walked away, leaving the clothes to rest on the floor.

As soon as he left, Drone 2 whirred to life again, waiting for her door to creak open.

When it did, Depression cried triumphantly.

Riley took the clothes inside her room. Drone 2 followed, and took a position high on the ceiling, atop the light bulb.

She hummed to herself as she put the clothes in their respective places.

"Drone 2, get ready to broadcast into her mind," Depression said.

"Affirmative," Drone 2 beeped faintly.

* * *

"Are you ready for playtime?" Fear asked Love and Shyness. They both nodded vigorously.

"C'mon, let's play," Fear grinned as he lead his children to the main room of Headquarters. Fear was going to play the plane game, where he swung them around in the manner of an airplane.

Love had finished her turn when a booming voice shook Headquarters.

 _"You are worthless."_

Both twins cried and hid behind Fear.

Fear trembled. "Wh-what's going on?"

 _"No-one likes you, Riley."_

Anger looked up from his newspaper. "What the heck is going on?!" he yelled.

 _"Mike doesn't love you anymore."_

Joy gazed up from the console and was shocked at what she was hearing. This had to be from outside. But how?

 _"You are worthless,"_ Depression boomed again. He smiled as he spoke to the monitor. Once he got his victims into a state of despair, he was in control.

Sadness began to sob. She didn't know what was happening, or if the emotions could stop it.

Anger rushed out to the main room in a rage.

"Who is doing this?!" he demanded.

But they didn't know. They couldn't possibly know. All they knew was that they had to do something quickly.

"Anger," Joy commanded. "Get the Book of Reassurances."

Anger rushed to Riley's conscious library and grabbed the Book of Reassurances, nearly dropping it in his rush to get back to Joy.

As soon as it reached Joy's hands, she began to read from it.

"You are not worthless," she read.

* * *

Depression seethed as he was hearing Joy reassure Riley. The drone was picking up the mental state she was in, and audio followed on from that.

He attacked again. "You are worthless, Riley. Don't listen to your emotions!"

 _"You are a wonderful, extraordinary person,"_ Joy said.

Depression felt his blood boil.

"Riley, listen. Give up hockey. It's not worth it," he countered.

 _"Hockey is awesome. Keep it up,"_ Joy stated.

"Drone 2," snarled Depression.

"Yes, sire?" Drone 2 buzzed.

"Beam me into her mind," Depression smiled.

"Yes, of course," Drone 2 replied as Depression felt himself levitate for a second, and then all went dark for a second.

* * *

When he arrived, the emotions were in complete shock.

Anger trembled with immense rage again. "Listen, punk. What are you doing to Riley?!" he yelled.

"Toying with her mental state," Depression replied calmly.

"Why?" asked Sadness, still sobbing.

"You don't know what being abandoned means, do you?!" Depression snapped. "To be left alone. To have nowhere to stay. Can't you imagine what that feels like?! Well, she'll see."

He reached for the console, but not before Anger wrestled him to the ground forcefully.

"No... she... won't!" Anger screamed as he began punching Depression.

Anger felt his strength suddenly leaving him as he was choked by an invisible force.

"Anger!" Joy yelled. "No!"

Depression released Anger from his choke hold, and pierced the others with a glare.

"Don't underestimate my power," he growled.

He familiarized himself with the console buttons and switches. When he found what he was looking for, he pulled the lever.

Fear's eyes widened. "No..." he cried. "Riley!"

The viewing screen blackened around the edges. Riley was starting to believe Depression's lies he was feeding her.

"You won't get away with this!" Anger yelled.

Depression scoffed. "What are you going to do now?" he snickered. "Bring her back to normal?"

Sadness was absolutely beside herself now, weeping on her husband's shoulder.

Depression feigned sadness. "Oh, this is so sad! How awful. How about some..." his voice changed, "...quality time?"

He used his power to construct cages that held the emotions, with Fear and Sadness and the twins in one, and Joy and Anger in another.

"Let us go!" Anger screamed.

Depression snorted. "Not until I've had my fun." He smirked on the last word, and he left the room to get himself comfortable.

Disgust, risen from her sleep, walked to the main room and was shocked at what she saw.

"Disgust... we've been attacked!" cried Fear.

"Invaded!" yelled Anger. "He wants to make Riley's life miserable!"

Disgust tried desperately to free her friends, but without success.

Depression stood behind her, and when she turned around, she screamed.

"Hello, my dear," he smiled. "My, aren't you a pretty sight?"

"Get away from me," Disgust spat.

"Oh, a fighter, hmm?" Depression scoffed. "I can fix that." He encased Disgust in another cage and left them all.

"Riley!" Sadness sobbed. "Riley..."

Love began to feel something within her.

She looked at her brother, who felt something rise up in him as well.

* * *

 **AN: There is more to come. Stay tuned!**


	9. A Villain, Part 3

It had been a day since Depression had imprisoned Riley's emotions and taken over Headquarters himself. He was surprised to the extent they were willing to put up a fight to protect their human, Riley.

He got the sense they loved her. Love. He detested the thought. His own parents had left him. So much for love!

No. He wouldn't think about his parents. They'd already caused him enough pain.

He turned his attention back to the girl. He knew what he was going to do. Isolation first. Then despair. He loved that part. Watching them cry their eyes out until they couldn't cry anymore. Watching them toss and turn at night.

He knew what it felt like to have power. Control. It coursed through his veins with conviction when he thought about it.

"You're mine now, Riley," he laughed as he threw a switch.

* * *

Riley Anderson didn't want to go to school today. She'd had nightmares of what would happen when she went back. Snickers. Teasing. Maybe even bullying. She thought that she was a dork. Plain and simple.

She didn't show up for breakfast that morning. Her mom and dad went to check on her when she didn't come downstairs. They were frightened. This wasn't their happy-go-lucky girl.

"Riley..." her mom called gently as she opened her bedroom door. "Are you okay?"

* * *

"Now... what could I do?" Depression thought aloud. "I could tell them to go away. What do you think?"

He threw the floor to the other emotions. They didn't answer, instead giving him hideous looks.

"Or... feign illness? Just yell at them to leave her alone?"

Silence met him again.

"Tough crowd," muttered Depression as he made Riley tell them to go away.

"See? Not hard, was it?"

"You monster!" cried Anger.

"Oh, please," Depression laughed. "You are far too kind, my friend."

* * *

Riley's parents were shocked by their daughter's outburst. Maybe she needed time alone for a while.

"Well, it's only a day of school she's missing," her dad reasoned. "We all have bad days."

"Mm," agreed her mother. "But, still... something's not quite right. She was fine yesterday."

Her dad put his hands on her mother's shoulders. "Maybe it's just being a teenage girl."

They walked to finish their breakfast. They'd deal with Riley later.

* * *

Depression sat back and laughed. She was well under his control.

"I can't unlock our cages," Disgust whispered to Anger.

"No, neither can I," he replied. "Whatever magic he used is too strong to counteract!"

"This is so sad," Sadness sniffed. "We're probably going to be imprisoned forever."

"You can't do this to us!" Anger yelled. "And you better not do anything else to hurt Riley!"

Depression turned his chair to face him. "My friend, I am merely toying with her. She is like a ball of putty that I play with until I move onto something else."

Anger was boiling with rage. "She is NOT a toy!" he screamed. "You lay a hand on her and we'll..."

He felt the choking sensation once again.

"You'll what?" growled Depression. "Answer me!"

"We'll... we'll get you..." Anger panted.

"What a pathetic threat," Depression laughed. He released Anger from the sensation. "You can't get me. Not with my powers. You know that, don't you?"

"Well... we'll try," Anger replied darkly.

Depression could only glare at him for a moment.

"You fools aren't worth my time," he shrugged as he worked Riley's console again. "Agitation? Mm, of course. A feeling of hopelessness? You bet. Low self-esteem? Absolutely!"

They all helplessly watched as Riley began to feel worse and worse. Who knew what Depression would do next?

"You love Riley, don't you?" Depression sneered. "What if she becomes a recluse? Would you still love her then?"

"Of course," Joy replied, her head held high in defiance.

"You're all weak!" spat Depression. "Love... what an ugly feeling."

Everyone was shocked at what Depression was saying. However, they became even more shocked when tears threatened to escape from his eyes.

"Appalling... appalling, love is," he sighed as he fiddled with the console again.

* * *

Riley was still in bed, even though it was 11 AM. Her body refused to get up. Her mind was so out of shape that she didn't even know what action she should take. It was as if a dark curtain had descended upon her life irreversibly. She felt trapped, alone, and worst of all, utterly worthless.

* * *

While all this was going on, Fear was noticing something. Love and Shyness were glowing right before his eyes.

He showed Sadness what was happening to their daughter.

"It's... positive energy..." he said, astonished.

"Which counteracts negative energy..." Sadness replied, beginning to realise what was going on.

The cage they were in suddenly blew apart. With a surge of adrenaline, Fear rushed towards their captor, only to vanish.

Love and Shyness looked at each other.

Sadness' body was wracked with sobs.

Love grabbed her mother, and pointed to the window of Headquarters.

The three walked hurried to the window, only to see a dragon of Depression's own creation appear directly in front of Fear.

"He will be missed... just not by me!" cackled Depression as Love began to formulate a plan.

* * *

 **How will the twins save their father? Will Riley's mind be restored? More to come.**


	10. The Battle

**AN: It all happens now!**

* * *

Love watched in horror as her father came face to face with a dragon. Its eyes were gleaming at the prospect of food.

She closed her eyes and began to focus, giving all her concentration towards saving her father. She thought of a puppy, like the one Riley bought a few weeks ago.

She thought about its soft, golden fur and its warm personality to match its skin tone.

A remarkable thing happened. She looked at the window now and saw the dragon replaced by a tiny puppy, who was licking Fear all over.

"Stop!" he laughed. "That-that tickles!"

Sadness was relieved. She looked down at Love in astonishment. "You really are stronger than what we thought," she mused quietly.

Depression was enraged. He snatched Love from the floor and glared at her. "No infant can stop me!" he hissed. He was swiftly thrown against the wall by Love.

"Uurgh..." he mumbled, dazed. "What happened?" He suddenly remembered, and his face grew red, his eyes flaming with rage.

"You!" He pointed at Love.

Shyness ran to protect his sister. He stared daggers at Depression. Their eyes were locked onto each other for some time, each wondering whether to make the first move.

"You know," Depression sneered, "I never thought I'd have to hurt a poor, defenseless child... but desperate times call for desperate measures!" He grinned as he advanced towards the twins.

"No!" screamed Sadness. Her maternal instincts soon kicked in, however, as she rushed towards the potential attacker and ran into him.

* * *

Riley wasn't sure what to feel. She was starting to feel different emotions seemingly at once.

Her sadness would be replaced by love, then depression, then shyness, then depression yet again.

"Mom! Dad!" she cried.

* * *

"I'll teach you not to hurt my kids!" Sadness growled as she slapped him.

A crash sounded as he was flung into another wall by Shyness.

They were usually quite reserved, but if anyone dared hurt the ones they loved... they were going to face their wrath.

"No!" Depression screamed. "Have mercy!"

He was flung into yet another wall.

"No!" said Shyness, mustering up his courage.

He sent a mental message to Depression: _Don't hurt Mommy or Daddy, or anyone else._

Depression grabbed his head. No. This was impossible!

 _You are a bad person_ , Love communicated as he was flung out the window of Headquarters.

He screamed as he fell what seemed like fifty storeys.

He survived the fall, though not without several injuries.

"This... this is crazy..." he said aloud. He was not seriously being beaten by children.

* * *

"What is it, Riley?" Mom and Dad asked as they came into her room.

"I... I think I'm starting to feel better..."

They embraced her. "Sweetie, we were so worried. For a few days we thought you were out of it!"

Riley sobbed into her father's chest, but not before she felt two pairs of arms hold her securely.

"It's okay..." Dad whispered. "You'll be fine."

* * *

The battle wasn't over quite yet. Depression was wondering where to get back up to the main building when he saw a familiar, purple-skinned emotion step towards him.

"Heh heh... no hard feelings, right, Fear?" he laughed.

Fear frowned. "Well, not exactly. You tried to kill me."

Depression was calm. "Yes. I did. But sometimes we all act a little... irrationally, shall we say. Here, help me up."

Fear grabbed his hand and began to haul him up, when he felt a swift kick to the stomach, leaving him crumpled on the ground.

"Daddy!" screamed Shyness.

Love knew what she had to do. With her positive energy, she opened all the cages that held the other emotions, and beamed everyone down to where Depression had just winded Fear.

The twins rushed to their dad first, assessing his condition.

 _He's safe_ , Love mentally assured her brother. Shyness nodded.

Anger growled at the monster that lay before them all.

"You're gonna pay for this!"

"Oh, you all will." Depression's eyes gleamed again. "Not me. I merely wanted to show you that a person is malleable. You can also break them if you try hard enough. Do you know the sound a puppy makes when it's in pain? Well, that's the response I want from my victims. I'm merciless, Anger. I'm a raging torrent of destruction. I won't rest until..."

It was then he realized where he was standing. The edge of the main facility. The gaping mouth of the memory dump.

He felt his body shift a little.

Sadness grabbed her children. "Look away now," she whispered.

"This isn't over!" Depression yelled. "It will never be over!"

He lost his footing. As he plunged into the dark, gaping chasm that awaited him, he realized that, indeed, it was over. He closed his eyes in anticipation.

The air resounded with a sickening crunch.

After the shock from the adults had subsided, Love and Shyness looked at each other and wondered where Depression had gone. They looked up at their parents with confused expressions on their faces.

"The bad man... he's gone," Fear said. "For good."

* * *

Riley suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She knew that she was free once again.

"Well... how about we go eat, huh?" smiled her dad.

Riley, beaming, went downstairs with her parents.


	11. Story Time

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, guys. I'm in the last year of school. As a result, workload is crazy and time is increasingly being devoted to study. Therefore, my fanfic updates will be sporadic and in some cases might be once a month. Bear with me, please. Thanks to all who are reading this story.**

 **-JonoGwood**

It had been several weeks since Depression's reign of terror had come to a sudden and quite violent end. Love and Shyness were beginning to find their place among the emotions. They were taking over the console more often than before, particularly as Riley and Mike were regularly going out together. As they grew, Fear and Sadness would teach them more of the buttons, how they operated, and which ones they should be cautious with pressing.

They soon discovered Love was a little more impulsive than her brother, flicking switches and pressing buttons at random before Fear quickly reining her in. Shyness was a little less adventurous, mirroring his mother. He understood what the buttons did, but he was hesitant to push any button except his personal one. The same was true of when they were playing. Love would sing, dance and giggle around Headquarters. Shyness would sit in a corner and read a picture book, not paying particular attention to his twin's antics.

Their telekinetic abilities were acknowledged, but were not put to use much after Depression's defeat. The adults realised they were defense mechanisms predominantly associated with threats against both them and those closest to them. Occasionally they would lift a small object, but otherwise their energy and time was spent at the console, which was becoming increasingly common.

The "little heroes", as they were dubbed by Joy, were happiest attending to Riley's needs and emotions whenever the situation called for it. They wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

"Story time!" Fear called. Love and Shyness bounded over to their father, Love almost tripping over in the race against her brother.

"Story!" Love shouted. "I love stories!"

"Yeah, me too!" Shyness grabbed a comfortable chair and sat on it, his smile broad and his teeth gleaming with anticipation.

"This story is called: The Fascinating Journey of the Central Nervous System!"

Shyness cocked his head a fraction. "What's that?"

"You'll soon find out, son," Fear replied. "The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord-"

Love groaned. "Dad!" She began putting cotton buds into her ears in protest.

Shyness leaned in closer, hanging onto every word his father was saying. "More, Dad! I want to learn!"

"With pleasure. The spinal cord sends messages to the brain from the peripheral nervous system... Yes, Shy?"

Shy had his hand up, waving with curiousity. "What's the peripheral nervous system?"

"Oh, well that's easy! It's..."

His daughter tore the cotton buds off her ears and ran away to escape the searingly dull "story" her father was reading to them. Her brother, meanwhile, was fully engrossed in the descriptions of the nerves running up the spinal cord, "like a spider", as his father put it, to send and receive messages to the brain, and the brain sending information back through the peripheral nervous system to send to the "things that make Riley work".

"Cool, Dad! I love you!" Shyness beamed as he wrapped his arms around his dad-turned-lecturer.

"No problem, son!" Fear beamed.

"MOM! DADDY'S BORING ME AGAIN!" Shyness hollered as she ran towards Sadness.


	12. Apologies, and Island Hopping

A search party was underway in Headquarters. JonoGwood had been busy, mostly with his final year of high school. However, the emotions didn't know that. They thought that something dreadfully wrong had happened to him. Fear, as always, had assumed the worst.

"I knew it!" he whimpered. "He's gotten mauled by a bear, like in that DiCaprio movie!"

Joy put a comforting arm around Fear's shoulder. "He lives in Australia, Fear. I very much doubt there are bears... although I have heard there are creatures known as drop bears..."

"OH, NO!" he wailed. "THE DROP BEARS HAVE FEASTED ON HIM!"

"They better not have eaten him!" growled Anger. "He's been behind schedule already, as it is! He's got a lot to answer for. As long as he gives us a good reason as to his lengthy absence, I propose we get a new writer! Punctuality is a virtue, I say."

"If he's left us... that'd be sad," Sadness sniffed.

Their fears were soon assuaged. Over from Mail Island, a letter dropped from the central chute. Excitedly, all the emotions huddled and scrambled to read it.

"Is it him?" Fear murmured.

"Quit shoving, Fear," Disgust snapped.

"Sorry!"

"This better be good," Anger mumbled impatiently.

Joy opened it and the others followed along:

 _Dear Emotions,_

 _I am dreadfully sorry that I haven't been able to write about your adventures lately. School has prevented me from writing a lot of chapters. My holidays are coming soon, which means I'll have enough time to write more about you all._

 _Again, I apologise for this long stretch of writing. I hope you can forgive me. I hope you all are going well.  
_

 _Sincerely yours,_

 _JonoGwood_

Headquarters erupted in cheers and sighs of relief. The twins were jumping up and down with glee. The story continued at last.

* * *

As most are aware, young children can get up to mischief more often than you have fingers on your hands. While Shyness tried to keep out of trouble, Love would goad him to embark on what she termed "adventures".

One fine morning, while Fear and Sadness were still dozing away, Love tiptoed out of her bed, grabbed Shyness' hand, and off they went to the centre of Headquarters.

"Quit shoving," protested Shyness.

Love put a finger to her mouth. "We're going on an adventure," she whispered as they neared the great glass chute.

"But-but Mom and Dad..." stuttered Shyness. "Th-they might..."

His sister took no notice of his protestations, and let the chute suck her up and away into the personality islands beyond.

Shyness tore after Love, and away he jumped into a swirling vortex of steel and air. He shouted as he was transported onto Internet Island.

He came to after a brief bout of dizziness. Around him were blue birds tweeting in the trees - quite literally. Ahead, he could see emojis bouncing around, while Facebook likes were scattered everywhere.

"Love?" he whimpered. "Where-where are you?"

She was nowhere to be seen. To make matters worse, the island was so large that there were no straight paths. Twisted passageways, curved entryways and zig-zagged bridges surrounded him.

"Maybe the Illuminati got to her," came a voice behind him. Shyness jumped. He turned to face the owner of the voice. A man wearing a tinfoil hat stared back at him grimly.

"W-what?" stammered Shyness.

"You know, the Illuminati, the New World Order, that kinda stuff," the man began. "It's all one giant conspiracy! Next thing you know, it'll enslave us all in a dictatorship!"

Shyness didn't know what on earth the man was talking about, but he didn't seem to believe a word that he was saying. In fact, the more the man kept talking, the sillier he seemed in his eyes.

He was ranting now. "The USA is filled with the Illuminati agents! Obama and Clinton, for example... The CIA's infested with 'em, the NSA too! Maybe even Biden..."

"I'm just looking for my sister," Shyness interrupted. The man glared at him.

"Oh, she's over there," he mumbled, pointing ahead. "But you haven't let me finish telling you about the global conspiracy to install Illuminati supporters as heads of government..."

It was too late. Shyness was already darting off, leaving the man babbling incoherently to himself.

"Love!" he cried. "Where-"

A flash of pink crashed into him.

"Here, brother!" she giggled.

"I was looking all over for you," Shyness said in exasperation. "We'd better get back before Mom and Dad find out we're gone."

* * *

When they got back, they discovered that, unfortunately, they had indeed found out. Fortunately, they were so relieved that they were safe that they forgot to be mad.

And I'm sorry to say the man with the tinfoil hat is still rambling away to nobody in particular.


	13. The Gang of Five

**Author's Note: I know it has been an awfully long wait for my readers to get the newest chapters of my stories. Now that I have graduated from school, I can put more time into writing. I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for being patient along the way. Now we return to our key players.**

* * *

Anger was the first to say it. "Where the dagnabbit _is_ that guy? He said he'd write another chapter on us three months ago!"

A tense silence punctuated the air of Headquarters. It was true: the author had not written a letter to them for several months, and already Fear had come up with 610 scenarios as to why he had not done so.

"Bear attack?" he quivered.

"There aren't bears in Australia," Disgust said as she moved her eyes in a perpetual roll.

"O-okay. Shark attack!" Fear screamed. "Koalas got him! A kangaroo kicked him... oh, maybe... maybe he was hit in the head with a boomerang!"

All the others' eyes were fixed on him now, mostly incredulous and perhaps with some semblances of pity.

"Guys, if he hasn't written back to us by-" he looked at his watch: "-by at least 8:00 tonight, let's all assume he's been involved in a serious barbecue accident!"

Joy laughed. "Oh, Fear, barbecues aren't _that_ dangerous. And anyway, he's got people to help him if he needs it. He'll be absolutely fine."

As if to punctuate this last statement, a letter fell from the chute. Each emotion scrambled and climbed over each other to open it. Ultimately, that went to Anger, who duly read out its contents:

* * *

 _Dear Emotions,_

 _I do apologise. I was caught in a flurry of exams and festivities following the end of my schooling life. I didn't have time to write on you all due to my busy schedule. However, as I have now graduated, I will get back on task to writing about your exploits. You can put down your torches and pitchforks now._ (Anger looked guiltily at the pile of them lying in a corner.)

 _All the best,_

 _JonoGwood_

* * *

"Well, that's settled," Fear sighed. "Time to discard those worst-case scenarios!" He put his diagrams and papers in a garbage can.

Love and Shyness couldn't stop grinning to themselves. "What are exams?" Shyness asked innocently.

"They're a kind of test," Fear explained. "They often consist of multiple-choice questions, as well as..." Love ran from the room to avoid the barrage of academic terminologies coming her way.

Anger put the letter back in its envelope and closed his eyes, wondering what exploits he'd recount to the author. To be fair, there wasn't much that had gone on in Headquarters these days. The twins were older now, presently being at the tender age of 10. The awkward and terrifying puberty stage was, thankfully, a while away for them.

Just as Anger began contemplating a potential story idea, it happened. A dark hand rose from behind and pushed him forward, sending him slamming into a wall. Pain shot through Anger's face and hands. A lone figure stood, smirking to itself.

"Anger, I believe it's time we became... acquainted again." The dark voice rattled Anger, and instantly he knew who it was.

"Depression. I thought you were dead!" he cried.

"Ah, yes. Dark emotions can be quite the theatrical sort." Depression paced the main room of Headquarters as if he was in a desperate search for something. "I had sustained quite nasty injuries," he continued. "I survived, mainly because I had... _help_."

Anger was confused. "Help?"

"Yes, I found my cohort somewhere on a deserted personality island. They restored me to normal, and they will return."

"THEY?!" yelled Anger. "Who-what..."

"Anxiety, myself, Self-Loathing, Despair and Hopelessness. The five of the worst emotions you can experience. As a group, we will make our triumphant return! Of course, your little friends will have to be-" he chuckled: "...evicted."

"Evicted? We live here!" Anger shouted. At this, the six others returned and gaped at the dark emotion.

"Not anymore..."


End file.
